The Emperor's Code
by InscribedLore
Summary: After the Zero Requiem, Lelouch has returned to a world of eternal solitude. And yet, evil is not gone, and Lelouch has to decide whether or not he can muster another facade to save the world from destruction. And who would've guessed that the evil he faces finds its root in the infinite worlds of virtual reality...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or Sword Art Online; this work falls under the principle of Fair Use under the Copyright act of 1976. I am not making any money off of this.

Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, so I would ask you to bear with me as I find my own voice and style, and hopefully develop as a writer. That said, please enjoy!

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Prologue: "The Forgotten Emperor and a Brave New World"

2018\. The year when Britannia's 99th Emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia, died at the hands of Zero, who was, in fact, his best friend. With a final smile, he fell upon the steps of his own throne and passed in the arms of his sister, whose cries were drowned by the marchers' cheer for the savior of Britannia, savior of the world, Zero. A few days later, Nunnally vi Britannia, Lelouch's sister, took the throne. With the evil of Lelouch buried in the past, the world took its first steps towards world peace.

Contrary to public knowledge, however, the day of Lelouch's death was not his end. In his sister's arms, clothes draped in his own blood, his life force wavered, then came to a stop. People marched onto the road, freed the captives of the Empire, and cheered for Zero, the killer of Lelouch. Drowned out in his sister's cries, Lelouch took his breath of life. He had returned.

In her grief, Nunnally didn't notice Lelouch's reemergence, and he gave no clue to his return. Two arms, covered with red fabric, took her away from his body, overpowering her struggles. Zero cried out, shouting, "Lelouch, the demon, is dead! Rejoice, for today begins a new era for Britannia, and the world! An era of peace!" He jumped below the Emperor's car and onto the road, leading the marchers, as Lelouch lay motionless on the ramp, and to all eyes, he was dead.

Some time later, a figure clad in white approached the throne and towered over the former emperor. "It is time," she said, then nodded to her four associates. They raised Lelouch carefully but surely, like a corpse, covered him with a bag, and moved him away from the road, and into a building. A cool breeze welcomed him as the doors opened. He heard a door open and footsteps rushing around him. People spoke indistinguishably. More footsteps. Another door opened.

The feel of this room changed. Even through his bag, he felt colder. He was placed down on a smooth and hard surface, then heard someone opening a bag, similar to his own, and the sound of a liquid spilling, then of a body being inserted into the bag. The new bag was then deposited somewhere in the room, and Lelouch was picked up again. More footsteps. A faint card swipe from a little above him, and then the sound of a sliding door opening. They were moving towards the sound. He heard the ding of an elevator, the clicks of buttons being pressed, and the closing of the sliding doors. For a while, the only thing he heard was the hum of the elevator as it went into the earth. None of those who carried him spoke, and from the amount of footsteps that he heard, he guessed that the one other person who didn't hold him must've been the one who spoke before they took him. All according to plan, he assured himself.

Eventually, the elevator doors opened, and again he was carried shakily into another hallway. The footsteps echoed in here, and then another card swipe, and another sliding door opened. Lelouch was carried forward a few steps and then placed down on a more comfortable surface, like that of a hospital bed. He heard the zip of the bag opening, and then felt the onrush of bright light filtering through his eyelids, but he still didn't open them. Only when he heard the soft calling of his name by the same voice as the one of the figure clad in white did he slowly lift his eyelids.

The bed he rested on was covered in a light blue sheet, confirming his suspicions that he was placed on a hospital bed. He lay in the center of a small, metallic gray room. Adjacent to the right wall was a chair with some clothes on it.

"Are all the conditions cleared?" he asked the voice.

"Yes, Lelouch," it replied.

Then, into his view came a woman, whose green hair reflected brilliantly in the light. She looked at him with golden eyes, eyes that have seen more than any human eyes on the planet. Beneath her nose she carried a small smile.

"Suzaku did his part. By killing you, the Zero Requiem is complete, and Nunnally will soon become the 100th Emperor of Britannia. Other than yourself, there were no other casualties. And of course, none of them know that you're still alive. Thanks to you, the world will now move towards peace."

Lelouch rose and returned her smile.

"Yes. Now, people will look towards the future, instead of the past. And I shall live to see all of it: I inherited my father's Code," he said, brushing his hand over his chest, where the mark lay. "I shall never know death."

Her golden eyes held a great sadness as he said that, but her smile did not diminish.

"C.C., it is time that we initiated our plan," Lelouch said, "and move to that woodland cabin that I spoke of. It's cut off from any populated areas in Japan and hidden well enough for me to live there. I will not be able to leave that place, but you should have no problems in terms of mobility, so I would request of you to be my bridge to the world. From now on, I will see the world through your eyes."

She looked at him in silence, her smile now faded. She already knew all of this. They had discussed it back when they agreed on the Zero Requiem. He took her silence as confirmation, and moved on.

"Is our transport here?" Lelouch asked.

She nodded. "Yes. Sayoko is driving us. We'll go through the old subway lines, so we won't encounter anyone."

Lelouch stood up and grimaced at the bloodstained clothes that he wore. "I'll have to change out of this." He went over to the chair and inspected the clothes that lay on it. A black shirt and gray pants, and beneath those a black jacket with a high collar. "Is this also part of my identity alteration?" he asked her as he looked over the new garments.

C.C. turned to face him. "Yes. Apart from your physical appearance and personality, every other detail regarding you will change after we leave this building. Your new official name will be Cloven, used sparingly enough. You won't be moving anywhere, really, so you will see little use for it." She wondered why he was asking her this; he clearly knew it all already, given that he was the one who planned his own withdrawal from the public eye. The thought of his eternal solitude from the world tightened her fist, but when she realized what she was doing, she relaxed it.

His gaze was away from her, but still, she sensed that he noticed. He made no noise, no movement, but the guise that he emitted of the Emperor of Britannia was not there, if only for a moment. At the moment's passing, however, it returned, and no more was said between them.

They left the building a few minutes afterward through a hidden elevator at the other end of the hallway from which they came. It stopped a few floors beneath ground level and opened to a deserted roofed parking lot. A small, black car was waiting there, and Lelouch could see Sayoko waiting in the driver's seat, clad in a dark, brown coat. It was strange to see her without her maid uniform, he thought, but he knew that everything was going to change now. He laughed at himself for thinking it.

C.C. led the way, and both entered the back of the car, saying nothing. Sayoko contemplated Lelouch through her rear-view mirror for a moment, before driving forward out of the parking lot and into the old subway lines. Without the train tracks, they now acted as make-shift roads, but no one used them anymore because they didn't connect with the main highways, and generally led to the old ghettos. For a long time, the only things that lit the car were the dim, white lamps that sent a soft, metallic flash across the car's interior at regular intervals, making everything within visible then threw it back into the darkness. When C.C. spared a glance at Lelouch, she saw him resting against the window, asleep. _What evil dreams seek you now, you reviled hero? Can you still seek shelter within sleep from the hateful world you saved?_ Such were her thoughts as she watched him, and as she looked upon his distorted face, tears streamed down her cheeks and upon the rug of the car, grieving his future, lost in another time.


	2. Zero's Return

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or Sword Art Online; this work falls under the principle of Fair Use under the Copyright act of 1976. I am not making any money off of this.

Author's Note: I had to go through a complete rewrite for this chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, consider leaving a favorite! I want to improve as a writer, so if you are so inclined, please write a review! :)

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Chapter 1: "Zero's Return"

 **June 7** **th** **, 2022**

Lelouch awoke to a pleasant ray of sunshine through the window. Slowly at first, he opened his eyes, and took in the view that he met for the last four years. Sunlight streamed from the window, making the floor and the opposite wall glow. The sunshine curved his lips into a small smile. The trees outside rustled in the morning wind, and the grass reflected beautifully in the sunshine. After such a long time of chaos and suffering, a certain peace came over Lelouch in the four years that he stayed in the cabin. For a time, he even drowned out the noise from the world as it was now; no country oppressed its citizens like Britannia used to discriminate against the Elevens, and no wars tore apart nations, but he still remained locked, isolated within his own silence.

He still had the ability to see world affairs; a little after the Zero Requiem took place, he managed to have Lloyd install for him a router, with all the extra securities and hiding algorithms that the scientist had up his sleeve. There was a definite trust in Lloyd that Lelouch rarely allowed in his subordinates. Indeed, Lloyd was one of the only ones on whom Lelouch never used his Geass to assure their oath to secrecy.

However, Lelouch saw less and less use for making plans to interfere with the progression that the world was taking. He already set the stage perfectly for Suzaku, and with Nunnally as the 100th Emperor of Britannia, the once malevolent empire now used its resources to aid other countries. The war with the EU came to an end, and the Areas were liberated. Since most of the world's hatred rested with Lelouch, not Britannia itself, little grudge was left with the new government, and with its now drastically lowered population (due to the huge loss of territories from liberating the Areas), Britannia took its place in the United Federation of Nations. Still, he had C.C. bring him a supply of information through an intricate information network, and thus received regular updates on the state of the world.

Lelouch rose from the bed and stood up, then left his room. He entered a short hallway, which was divided in a diagonal by the stream of light over the walls. Facing him were two rooms: a bathroom, and a separate bedroom reserved for C.C. when she arrived. The room had been vacant for weeks.

He eyed the opposite bedroom for a moment, then turned and made for the exit of the hallway. Beyond lay an area akin to a living room with a couch, and on its right was a kitchen. Lelouch went first to the bookshelf next to the couch and browsed its contents: he picked out a book that wasn't marked on its spine and opened it where a bookmark left its pages, then began reading. He slowly made his way to the couch, eyes fixed on the volume he held. Sunlight poured out of the facing window, and the rugged floor glowed in its presence. By the time the sunlight reached his feet, he heard a knocking on the door. Lifting his eyes from the page, he glanced at the door behind him. Then, placing the book on the coffee table in front of him, he made his way to the door.

"Ah, you finally arrived," he said to the visitor after he opened the door.

"I'm sorry; I was delayed. There was a piece of news worth investigating," said the visitor as she walked in, her green hair flowing after her footsteps.

Lelouch closed the door behind her and made his way to the dining table. "News worth investigating? Something to do with Sakuradite rights in the United Federation of Nations?" he asked.

C.C. sat down on the dining chair closest to the door. "No," she said, as Lelouch sat down in a chair opposite her. A short pause followed. Then she looked up at him, golden eyes gleaming. "A new virtual reality technology, called the NerveGear, was released almost two months ago, of which you are already aware. I was told by a source that an anonymous person informed them of a plan to 'throw the world back into chaos.' It was hinted that this plan, whatever it is, is related to the NerveGear." Her eyes didn't waver as she recounted what her source told her.

"'A plan to throw the world back into chaos?'" Lelouch questioned, but C.C. continued.

"When pressed for more information, the person did give a clue as to who may be involved in the plan: they gave the name 'Argus.' After that, my source said, they were unwilling to say more. Before I had a chance to investigate further, the source said that the person left and added that they'll try to be in touch before they hung up. I haven't heard from them since," she finished.

Lelouch contemplated what he had heard. _A 'plan to throw the world back into chaos?'_ _Through a NerveGear?_ He thought. _It sounds dubious. Only one source, and anonymous at that._ _But C.C. wouldn't bring me this information if she was unsure about it._ _If this plan exists, then_ _the source_ _had to be close to the project leaders._ _Is the source_ _trying to spread rumors out of a business rivalry, which in turn incriminates them as a spy? Or, are they trying to lead C.C. into a trap?_ He continued, calculating in his mind. _No, both aren't possible. If they wanted to spread rumors, they would go to someone who would release the information, and C.C.'s information network is completely confidential._ _They must be close enough to the project leaders to know about the plan but also not too close to be the project leaders themselves._ "C.C., do you know who is heading the NerveGear project?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes: Kayaba Akihiko is the creator of the NerveGear. I was also told that he is the head programmer of _Sword Art Online_ , the first VRMMORPG for the NerveGear," she answered.

Lelouch rose from the dinner table, calculating silently as he made for his room.

"What are you doing?" C.C. asked, turning to face him.

"Researching this further," he replied, "if your source isn't lying, then they have to be someone close to the project leaders," he finished as he entered the hallway.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts," he heard her say before he entered his room.

"Of course," he said back, then closed the door behind him.

Lelouch turned on the light and walked to the desk, then removed from it a pile of books that obscured his view. Behind them lay his old laptop, covered with a layer of dust, which he wiped off. A determined expression appeared on his face as he looked at it. _The world I shut out seeks me yet again, and I cannot deny its call._ He sat down, opened the laptop, and, as he scoured the internet for information, a plan formed in the back of his mind. The plan that would later be known as _Zero's Return._

. . .

C.C. sat at the dinner table for a long time before she got up from her seat and went to her room. By this time, the sun diminished to face the wall, and a fading orange stream of light entered the window. Outside, the trees rustled quietly, their green leaves sparkling in the sun's benign rays. C.C. took little notice of the view; she had already seen many like it, although few were fairer. Still, her steps didn't falter as they came closer to the window and into the hallway. Before her hand reached the doorknob of her room, she halted, and looked at the opposite door. Faint keyboard presses emanated from the room. For some reason, she smiled. Then she turned and gave it no more attention as she opened the door and closed it behind her.

. . .

Lelouch looked over the files that were open on his computer screen. His eyes wandered over a Wikipedia page about Argus and Kayaba Akihiko, then jumped to a site describing all the details, few as they were, about the upcoming _Sword Art Online_. It offered a sparse description of the game, stating that it is "the first VRMMORPG for the NerveGear console, a new commercial Full-Dive technology," and that a "beta is schedule for August, 2022," among many user comments declaring their anticipation for the game to come out, and an Amazon link to buy a NerveGear.

 _There's not enough information about Kayaba or Argus to know who works closely on the NerveGear project itself, only small pieces of information stating that_ _Kayaba_ _works in a team and that he is the "Head Programmer" of Sword Art Online… but their plan has to beg_ _i_ _n at some point. Damn that vague hint!_ He slammed the desk with his fist. _When will their plan initialize? And how?_ He scrolled through the Wikipedia page. _"The NerveGear was released in May 2022, and has accumulated_ _5_ _.36 million sales (updated Ju_ _ne_ _5_ _th_ _, 2022)… the most awaited VRMMORPG for the NerveGear, Sword Art Online, is scheduled to debut in November 6, 2022..." That's it!_ He thought. _If their plan relies on the NerveGear, then when Sword Art Online debuts, they'll have 10,000 people under their control!_ Lelouch sat back in his chair, then rested his head on his hand and closed his eyes in concentration.

 _If I'm right, then I can't investigate directly: my identity would be compromised. Even C.C.'s resources are limited…_ He frowned. _If the project leaders know about the plan, then Kayaba_ _must know_ _as well. If I can't reach him from the outside world, then the only way to figure this out is from within._ His eyes flashed open as he said, "from within Sword Art Online!"

 **November 6th, 2022**

Lelouch heard a passing wind as he waited, his expression clear but his hands tense. The cabin's interior was faded, the objects within almost devoid of color, encompassed in a gray shadow. Outside, the trees swayed in the breeze, standing amid a pile of corpses. He didn't turn when the wind swept the corpses from the ground, nor when it claimed its next victims, who fell, one by one, in a whirlwind of red and orange. Their deaths didn't bother him, his gaze not faltering from the wall. But then, one of them caught his eye. A green among the yellow, brilliant even in the weakest sun. He watched, enchanted, as it glowed, as if it were made of gold. Then the wind came through the trees, a hollow shriek of terror. The leaf bent, fighting the wind, holding on against the tide. Then, in a moment, it failed. He almost felt a pang of grief as it, like the others, was torn from the branch, and fell upon the grass below. He thought he saw a final glimmer of light reflecting from its body before it rested upon the others in silence. A veil of darkness came over it, and it glowed no more.

Lelouch looked at the lifeless leaf, his hands still tense and one curled into a fist, but this time his expression failed him. He stood there for a long time, watching the green leaf, whose time was too soon. It wasn't withered like the others, nor stained with disease, and yet it still fell. Fairer than the rest in life, it was as still as they were in death.

When he heard the knock on the door Lelouch turned away, his expression clear once more, yet riddled with a touch of sorrow. He opened the door and C.C. entered, followed by Lloyd, who carried a gray helmet covered with buttons and wrapped in cords. A NerveGear.

They didn't speak, and even Lloyd's casual demeanor was missing. He still appeared somewhat surprised, perhaps almost afraid, in the presence of Lelouch, but followed him nonetheless as he led them to his room. Lloyd immediately got to work, unraveling the cords around the NerveGear and setting it up, silent all the while. Lelouch watched, his eyes speaking of a sadness that never left his mouth. When Lloyd finished, he nodded to Lelouch and C.C., then left the room.

Lelouch sat on the bed and looked up at C.C. Her expression was much like his.

"You mean to go forth with your plan?" She asked. He nodded. "You've already sacrificed yourself for the world. Your happiness, your future. Yet you still wish to burden yourself with more suffering?" she continued. He nodded again.

"I can't stop now, for all those I've killed before the Zero Requiem. If I ignore this, my efforts would all have been in vain," he said.

Her expression wavered for a moment, but she resisted. "Then you realize, that if you go in there, you cannot return. If Kayaba wants to control the people who enter Sword Art Online, I doubt he will let you leave it. And if he does, you will already be under his control," she said.

Lelouch nodded. "I know."

He held the NerveGear in his hands, and looked at it for a moment. Then, he placed it on his head, and lay upon the bed. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw C.C.'s lips tremble.

"Thank you," he told her, then said her name. Her eyes widened, and with a final smile, he left her.

"Link Start!"


End file.
